Eagle River - Most people don't worry much about a cold. A day of rest usually gets you back to work. But for one Northwoods woman with low immune system, colds can turn into something worse. Lisa Bishop feels healthy. But she's threatened by things like the common cold. "Since January 2010, I was a type one diabetic for 23 years. In January 2010, I had a research transplant that was an islet cell transplant." said Bishop.
Since that transplant, she's had no immune system. "It's very easy for me to get infections. I've been through multiple surgeries, sinuses, my lungs because of fungal infection,"Bishop said. "If somebody comes near me that has a cold I generally get something worse." Medical bills and travel expense are piling up. She says it has been tough. But a dinner at the Nutty Squirrel in Eagle River helps Bishop with her expenses. "We've talked about this for a long time. We're glad we're able to help out." said co-organizer, Krista Fornear. "We hope it raises a lot of money and everybody can come out and have a good time, fun place and enjoy themselves." Krista Fornear thought this was the perfect time to give back. That's because Bishop's father helped her family when her father died. "He actually put a benefit on for him; just about a month before he passed away," Fornear said. "So for years, and years, and years, seeing all Lisa's health issues, this was actually one of those things that we just wanted to pay forward." Fornear used social media and word of mouth to get donations from all over the state. "My mother was getting phone calls from people that received the local paper from hundreds miles away, other parts of the state," Fornear said. "They didn't even know Lisa and wanted to donate, just because they read her story. Which was really really cool." That helps Bishop stay financially and physically healthy.